How to know when humidity is an issue in your home, what you can do to fix it

Renee Lucas of LCS Heating & Cooling joined us today to explain how you can know if humidity is an issue in your home or if the issue is your AC unit. She breaks it all down below:

Humidity in your home can be caused by a number of things:

• Condensation on windows during the winter.

• Excessive mildew in the bathroom.

• Common home activities such as bathing, cooking, dish-washing, and just breathing all produce moisture.

• Other sources in the home include plants, stored firewood, plumbing leaks, unvested gas appliances, and outside air during humid weather.

Humidity can affect your air conditioner:

• Air Conditioners work to remove heat and moisture from the air in your home. When humidity levels are high they need to work a lot harder. If the unit doesn’t have sufficient cooling capacity, it may be unable to cope with extreme humidity.

• Some signs of high humidity in your home: moist, clammy air, foggy windows, or a musty odor.

Dehumidifiers

• The best way to combat humidity when trying to cool a home is by having a dehumidifier installed onto the HVAC system. This simple appliance will work to pull moisture from the air before it is forced through the ducts in your home. Having the dehumidifier installed with your AC allows you to adjust both the temperature and the humidity in your home at the same time.

• You can tell that you have a humidity issue when you can see visible condensation on cooler surfaces, on the ceiling you want to watch for wet stains and often you can see moisture as discoloration. Peeling paint and excessively creaking floorboards can also be a sign.

• An AC system may have trouble fighting humidity if the system is too big for the home, if the unit is cutting off and on too often this does not give it enough time to eliminate the humidity inside of the home. And on the other hand, your AC might be undersized if it never stops running and will also not be able to fight the heat or humidity that is bring brought into your home. Having the right size HVAC unit with a dehumidifier can lower your energy bills and keep your home nice and comfortable all year round.

THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY LCS HEATING AND COOLING.